For Ukraine and Nordic region. Sweden likely to increase ammunition production
Photo: Minister of Defense of Sweden, Pål Johnson (Getty Images)
Sweden needs to procure artillery ammunition both for itself and the possibility of sending it to Ukraine. The capacity of the factories should also be increased, says the Minister of Defense of Sweden, Pål Johnson.
"We have nice Archer guns, but they're not relevant if there's no ammunition to shoot with," he said.
According to the Minister of Defense, Sweden should support Ukraine with artillery ammunition while simultaneously increasing its own reserves. He referred to this as a complex situation.
Currently, efforts are underway to negotiate an agreement that will provide Sweden with access to the necessary ammunition. According to the manufacturer Nammo, with factories in Sweden, the delivery times for ammunition currently stand at up to six years.
Necessary investments in factories
According to Johnson, ammunition production factories in Scandinavia need to increase their capacities.
"There is money for this in the EU. They are applying for EU funds and then we are expected to invest in parts," the minister said.
The Defense Materiel Administration states that "intensive work is underway to increase production capacity and the availability of artillery ammunition in Sweden and the Nordic region."
Shells for Ukraine
Western countries themselves have faced difficulties trying to achieve their goals in supplying ammunition to Ukraine.
The EU promised to send a million artillery shells to Ukraine by March 2024. However, only "480 thousand have been delivered or are in transit," recently stated the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.
Since the onset of the full-scale Russian invasion, the United States has provided Ukraine with over two million 155mm artillery shells. However, their own reserves have also been depleted, so last summer, they decided to send cluster munitions to Ukraine.
Earlier, the commander of the Tavria operational and strategic group of troops Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, stated that the Ukrainian soldiers on the frontline were facing a shortage of artillery shells amid a reduction in assistance from allies.
